Deputy PM: Ukraine to cut Russian gas import by 10% 2014

KIEV, December 21 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine will continue to reduce the import of Russian gas, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Boiko said on television Friday evening.

“There is no hint we may be increasing the import of gas. Moreover, next year we shall reduce its import by another ten percent for the sole reason we have built up our own gas extraction,” Boiko said.

Over the past three years Kiev has lowered the import of gas by 25%.

“We have told our partners outright that we shall go ahead with this policy,” Boiko said.

Speaking at a meeting of the national round-table meeting For United Ukraine on Friday Boiko said that “Russia has responded with understanding to Ukraine’s intention to keep reducing the import of Russian gas.”

At the same time Energy and Coal Industry Minister Eduard Stavitsky said on Wednesday that Ukraine in 2014 would increase the import of natural gas to 30-33 billion cubic meters.

President Yanukovich said on Thursday that Ukraine was prepared to step up the consumption of Russian gas after the price had gone down by a third.

“If this price is going to stay, we shall be interested in consuming as much Russian gas as possible in contrast to that from other sources, which would be more expensive,” he said.

Ukraine’s gas import in the outgoing year is expected to go down to 27.3 billion against 32.9 billion cubic meters in 2012.